CE3C and CHANGE at the Science and Innovation 2026 Conference

The CHANGE associated laboratory, of which CE3C – Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Change – forms part, took part in the Science and Innovation 2026 Meeting, the first major event organised by the Agency for Research and Innovation (AI²), contributing to the debate and joint development of strategic areas for science, technology and innovation in Portugal over the coming decades.

CHANGE played an active role in this Summit, leading 14 proposals and contributing to a further 9 proposals across 7 distinct thematic sessions. Reflecting the breadth and relevance of the knowledge produced, CHANGE researchers contributed to thematic sessions on ‘Soil, water and climate’, ‘Territory and biodiversity’, ‘Agriculture, Agri-Food and Bioeconomy’, ‘Energy, Decarbonisation and Circularity’ and ‘Forests and Fire’, as well as ‘From Thematic Areas to AI² Strategic Domains’ and ‘Social Sciences and Humanities’.

CE3C represented its Associated Laboratory at three of these sessions:

CE3C researcher Alice Nunes presented the topic “Restoring Nature in Portugal: Science and Innovation for a Resilient Future” at the “Territory and Biodiversity” session, proposing to accelerate the restoration of degraded ecosystems to increase the resilience of territories to climate change, halt biodiversity loss and promote nature-based solutions. In the same session, Joana Canelas (CE3C and CHANGE) put forward the proposal “Biocultural diversity for sustainable transitions: biodiversity, food sovereignty, territorial cohesion and climate resilience”, emphasising the importance of valuing territories’ natural and cultural resources, whilst involving local communities in biodiversity conservation and climate adaptation.

In the session ‘Forest and Fire’, researcher Sergio Chozas contributed to the proposal ‘Rethinking Post-Fire Management in Portugal’, presented by CESAM, promoting an integrated approach to the recovery of areas affected by fires, with solutions based on scientific evidence to restore soils, water resources, biodiversity and landscapes.

Finally, researcher Cristina Máguas took part in the session ‘From Thematic Areas to Strategic Domains of AI²’, leading the proposal ‘Shaping the Future: from ‘Bottom-up’ Consultation to National Dialogue’. She highlighted the importance of participatory (‘bottom-up’) models in shaping research and innovation policies, reflecting on the integration of contributions through a collaboration between science, society and decision-making to define AI²’s strategic priorities.

CE3C’s participation in the Science and Innovation 2026 Summit reinforces its role as a leading institution in the production of scientific knowledge and in devising solutions to major environmental and societal challenges. Through the contributions of its researchers in strategic areas, CE3C is establishing itself as an active partner in setting the priorities that will guide research and innovation in Portugal over the coming decades.